By Dan Ambrose: Former WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (47-2-2, 26 KO’s) is scheduled for a nice little mismatch against Britain’s Darren Barker (23-0, 14 KO’s) on October 1st at the Boardwalk Hall, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Martinez, 36, took this as a kind of a stay busy fight while waiting for Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Miguel Cotto or Antonio Margarito to get free to fight him.

However, this is probably the best that Martinez can hope for, which is pretty sad because no one in the United States aside from hardcore boxing fans have clue one who Barker is. Even the hardcore fans aren’t in love with the guy, and see him as a mechanical fighter without much speed or power.

Martinez wants bigger fighters against the likes of Margarito, Cotto and Chavez Jr. but the chances are remote that their mutual promoter Bob Arum is going to let any of them fight Martinez. I just don’t see that happening until Martinez slips a whole lot in terms of ability.

Boxing fans would love to see Martinez face any of those guys, but it’s just not realistic. Arum rarely matches his fighters against guys that can beat them and Martinez would beat all those guys without any problems. I think Martinez is going to find out that there won’t be any fights for him after he destroys Barker.

Sure, Martinez can go after guys like Marco Antonio Rubio and Giovanni Lorenzo, because those guys would step it up against anyone in the division, but I don’t see Arum letting his money fighters take on Martinez and take a sure beating. Martinez is going to have to settle for a lot less after the Barker fight and I can’t see him getting anyone that comes close to being a popular fighter.